Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-01-21
A SURPRISED WOMAN.

ASURPRISED WOMAN.
Her Husband Returns to Her After an absence
Of More Than Twenty Ysars-The Story Of
His Adventures
Cleveland Sun
Mrs Harriet Lesser is probably the
happlest woman in this state tonight
for her husband, who has been missing
for twenty-five years, ate his Christmas
dinner with her and the children, all of
whom are now married
She last heard of her husband as one
OF Sserman's bummers of the famous
March to the Sea. comrade sent word
that he was killed rear Atlanta, or cap
tured by the confederates. Mrs Lesser
remained faithful to the lad she married
IN old England, and she told her friends
that until she saw proof of his death she
would believe he was alive. At noon yes
teroay stranger called at her home and
asked fer dinner. Mrs Lesser noticed
while she was setting the table that the
strangers dark eyes followed her every
movement. She became uneasy for she
imagined that she saw something fami-
liar in his eyes. He remarked
that he knew soldier who
served under Gen. sherman, and that he
left wife and three little children in Sy-
racuss, n. Y.
Mrs. Lesser said that Archibald was
her husbands name, but that she had
been told over twenty years ago that he
was dead Her youngest child, little
girl,who was her fathers pet died seven
years ago in this city, she said an he
last word she spoke was papa"
He Is alive" said the stranger spring
ing to his feet, for l am Archibald
Lesser, and l have come back after all
the weary years, Wife don't you know
me?"
Mrs. Lesser was not sure until the
stranger named all her children and told
stories of their courtship and maria gs
in England, and repeated the last wor DIS
he said to her when he enlisted.
Last night there was happy reunion
of the father and his two sons.
both strapping big men, and he told a
thrilling story of his strange experience
since he saw them playing about the
house in Syracuse, where he was ma
chinest.
I'm one of the skirmishes near AtIenta
L was severely wounded" Lesser" said,
land fell into the hands of the enemy.
''For weeks l was ill of brain fever, and
when l was able to go out of doors l
could not remember anything of my
previous life. All was blank to me.
People told me that the war was ended.
There was something I tried to rem emb
er, but no matter how hard l tried L
could not recall anything. Aimlsssly 1
wandered about tie country a harmless
lunatic.
Il remember of working on the levee
at New Orleans, and on plantation near
Little Rock, and one day found myself
in Texas village. For seven years l was
cook and general servant for cowboys,
who had charge of thousands of cattle
on the ranges.
"A raid was made upon Us one night by
Mexicans and Indians, and all but five
OF the seventeen men in our gang wees
killed. The others escaped, and l was
captured and taken by the renegades to
the mountains where 1 was servant for
the robbers. l slept in a rocky cave in
which 4 sentry paced night and day. Sc
nor Cascar was the leader of the band.
He was tall man of wiry build. While
l was prisoner he brought score of
American and Mexican girls to the noun
tain as captives, and held them for ran
som money. One of the Mexican girls
very handsome woman, stabbed him in
the right shoulder with a poniard
one night. She was thrown from tall
cliff next morning. and I saw wild ami
mails eat her body in the ravine.
Three years ago was with a band of
cowboys in New Mexico, having escaped
from the Mexicans long before. 1 saved
L,t II
name or incidents connected with my
former life. Seventeen months ago 1
went with Bob Robinson, our leader,
whose father is a Newark physician, to
round up our cattle. Just as We were
driving the cattle into camp, the crack
of a rife startled US, l fell with bullet
in nay thigh, and my horse fell on me
so heavily tnat l was left for dead. Our
men were driven to the settlement by
Red Be.s and his devils, and one blood
thirsty Indian took my scalp. Fortunate
ly he was clever with the knife and ouly
removed the skin and hair from the top
of my head. A friendly Indian who was
kind to me because he thought the Great
Spirit made me lunatic, nursed
me back to health and life. As resov-
cred my bodily strength, my memory re-
turned slowly.
"Bit by bit all the events of my life
from my boyhood came back to me. 1t
vas strange, however, that my marriage
and the events of the war were bla nix
for several weeks. One night l awo Ike
with clear brain, and in possession of
all my senses. l had dreamed of my
Syracuse home and my little ones.
Then 1 began to think of my wife and
children, and wrote to Syracuse. No
answer came. Then wrote to aold friend
there. 1 did not get a reply. Then
went to Nevada City, where 1 had money
in the bank applied for a pension and
got it after months of waiting -$7.396-
which included nineteen months pay as
orderly sergeant, which had not drawn.
"Four months ago 1 sold out my sh are
in the New Mexico cattle for a snug sum
and started east to find my wife and
children. 1 was about to give up the
search whom 1 met a man from Eliza
beth in a saloon in New York, and he
told me about a widow Leeser in this
city, and SO at last, have managed to
find you ALL"